Method of producing hosiery



April 10, 1934. J. OLIVER ET AL METHOD OF PRODUCING HOSIERY 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21, 1931 Mani/"J5 a/imes we?" April 10, 1934.J OLIVER ET AL 1,954,711

METHOD OF PRODUCING HOSIERY Filed Aug. 21, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April10, 1934. J, OLIVER ET AL METHOD OF PRODUCING HOSIERY Filed Aug. 21,1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 10, 1934 METHOD OF PRODUCING HOSIERYJames Oliver, Ventnor, N. J., and Thomas A.

Oliver, Jenkintown, Pa.

Application August zl,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to hosiery and more particularly to what isgenerally known in the art as net hosiery, that is, stockings having legand instep portions composed-of open mesh or lace fabric. I

Prior to this invention net hosiery has been made upon fiat knittingmachines equipped with jacquard or other lace attachments adapted toeffeet the transfer of stitches from needle to needle, in order to formthe open mesh fabric in the leg and instep portions of the stocking.

It is generally recognized in the art that the production of net hosieryon knitting machines, due to the necessity of transferring large numbersof stitches, is quite slow; and that the percentage of seconds; due-tosuch transferring of stitches, is relatively high.

To overcome these disadvantages attempts have been made to cut the legand instep portions of a net stocking from a piece of lace and to applya knitted foot and welt thereto, to complete the stocking, but due tothe flimsy nature of ordinary lace fabric such attempts have not beensatisfactory, as it has been found to be practically impossible toobtain leg and instep portions of uniform size and shape.

,Another difliculty encountered in connection with such endeavor residesin the inability to secure the knitted foot and welt to the cut edges ofthe lace piece in a satisfactory manner due to the irregularity andunevenness of the cut edges of the lace.

The principal object of this invention is to construct the leg andinstep portions of a net stocking of lace or open mesh fabric in theform of a shaped blank having regular even edges, in order that aknitted foot and a knitted welt may be readily secured thereto and inorder that the opposite edges of the leg portion of the blank may bereadily secured together by the smallest possible seams at thejunctures.

The formation of the shaped blanks with regular even edges has beenfound to be most efficiently produced on a conventional type of laceloom, preferably a lace loom such as that employed in the making of lacecurtains, the pattern mechanism of the lace-making machine being set upin such a manner that a large number of uniform stocking blanks will beproduced. at one time in a single sheet, the sheet having lines ofdemarcation defining the individual blanks and functioning as a meanswhereby the nks may be readily separated from the adjacent portions ofthe sheet, each blank being pro- .5 d, adjacent the regular even edgesthereof,

1931, Serial No. 558,614

with a strip of solid fabric, to provide for the seal igsiing or loopingof the edges of thestocking pa Each blank may be composed of anysuitable form of mesh fabric capable of being produced on a lace curtainmachine, such as a fabric having one form of mesh throughout or a fabrichaving a mesh background provided at desired places with any suitableform of design.

The construction of the stocking and the process of making the stockingwill be more fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a portion of a sheet of fabric-asproduced on a lace-loom of conventional type, wherein the sheet iscomposed of a plurality of uniform stocking blanks defined by lines ofdemarcation;

Fig. 2 diagrammatically illustrates one of the ;blanks after its removalfrom a sheet such as that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a side view of a completed netstocking formed from a blank such as that shown in Fig. 2 and having aknitted welt and foot attached thereto;

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view'diagrammatically illustrating one form ofmesh fabric having the lines of demarcation formed therein, with eachblank having an even regular edge and solid seaming fabric adjacentthereto;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing an ternate arrangement of blanksin a sheet; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a stocking similar to that shown in Fig.3 and illustrating a seamless foot applied thereto.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, a stocking madein accordance withthe principles of this invention comprises an upper leg portion 1, afashioned calf portion 2, an ankle portion 3 and an instep portion 4;all composed of open mesh fabric and produced as a unit on aconventional type of lace-making machine. The stocking also includes aknitted foot structure and a knitted welt formed in any of a number ofdifferentways as will be fully disclosed hereinafter.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the blank A includes theupper leg portion 1 having substantially parallel marginal edges 1a and11) respectively, the fashioned calf portion 2 having convergingmarginal edges 2a and 2b respectively, which extend at an angle from themarginal edges 1a and lb of the leg portion 1 to the substantiallyparallel marginal edges 3a and 3b of the ankle portion 3 of the blank.

Depending from the ankle portion 3 of the blank A is the instep portion4, which is of lesser width than the ankle portion 3 and is defined bysubstantially parallel side edges 4a and 4b respectively, which areoffset with respect to the marginal edges 3a and 3b of the ankle portion3, said offsets being defined by transversely extending marginal edges5a and 5b respectively.

As shown in Fig. 3, the edges 5a and 5b of the blank A constitute thelines in the stocking where the upper edge of the heel portion 5 of theknitted foot structure joins with the ankle portion 3 of the open meshfabric of the stocking.

The instep portion 4 terminates at a transversely extending line 6a, asshown in Fig. 2, and which, as shown in Fig. 3, constitutes the line inthe stocking where the open mesh fabric of the instep 4 joins with theknitted fabric of the upper portion 6 of the toe pocket of the stocking,the edges of the knitted sole portion 7 of the stocking and the inneredges 50 of the knitted heel portion 5 being joined with the open meshfabric of the instep portion 4 along the marginal lines 4a and 41) atthe opposite sides of the stocking respectively.

The upper leg portion 1 of the blank A terminates at a substantiallytransversely extending line 10a which, as illustrated in Fig. 3,constitutes the line in the stocking where the knitted welt or garterreinforcement 9 is attached tothe open mesh fabric of the leg portion 1of the stocking.

The stocking blank shown in Fig. 2 is substantially straight along itsmarginal edges from the fashioned calf 2 to the top edge 10a of theblank, but it will be here noted that if it is desired to widen thestocking blank adjacent the upper end thereof, below the welt 9, suchwidening may be effected in the same manner as the shaping of the calfportion 2. However, for the purpose of economy in producing stockings inaccordance with the principles of this invention the top narrowing hasbeen eliminated, the open mesh of which the fabric is composed havingsufilcient lateral resiliency to enable the stocking to fit the leg ofthe wearer above the knee without the necessity of providing anyadditional widening of the blank.

It will be noted that the blank as shown in Fig. 2 is provided along theline and extending above the line 10a of the blank with plain solidfabric 10 and depending from the lines 5a, 5b and 6a similar pieces offabric 11, 11 and 12 respectively are provided for the purpose offacilitating handling the blank and more readily applying the foot andwelt to the blank in completing the stocking. The fabric portions 10, 11

.and 12 may be removed before or after the welt and foot portions of thestocking are applied as desired. In some instances the fabric 10 at theupper edge of the blank may be permitted to remain on the blank to beincluded in the welt 9 if desired.

As shown in Fig. 1,- a plurality of blanks A, A are formed in a sheetwith the edges 1a and 1b of adjacently disposed blanks positionedparallel to each other and joined together in a manner to form a line ofdemarcation therebetween, as indicated at 15. The line of demarcation isforked at the line of juncture of the leg 1 and calf 2, following anddefining the marginal edges 2a and 2b of the fashioned calf portions 2,2 of adjacent blanks as indicated at 15a,- 1511, the adjacent blanksbeing spaced at the fashioned calf portions 2. 2 by an intermediateportion 16a of the sheet, while the ankle portions 3, 3 of the blanksare spaced by portions 16'?) of the sheet, between which and themarginal edges 3a and 3b of the ankle portions 3 extend the lines ofdemarcation as indicated at 15b, 15b. The lines 15b terminate attransversely extending lines of demarcation 15c, 150 which are disposedbetween the lower edges of the handling fabric 11, 11 and upper edges ofa third intermediate portion 160 of the sheet. The instep portions 4, 4of the blanks A, A respectively are defined by lines of demarcation 15d,15d which extend between the marginal edges 4a and 4b of the instepportions 4, 4 and the portions 160 of the sheet, the lines ofdemarcation 15d extending from the lower end of the handling fabric 12of each blank A to the lines 5a and 5b of the blanks.

Fig. 4 illustrates one method of producing the lines of demarcation inthe sheet, and to those familiar with the art of lace making, andparticularly the manufacture of lace curtains as produced on lacecurtain looms, the construction of the lacework and the manner ofproducing the sheet of mesh fabric having the lines of demarcationtherein, with regular even edges on the individual blanks and the solidseamng fabric in the blanks adjacent the said edges of the blanks, willbe readily understood upon referring to Fig. 4.

Lace curtain fabric, briefly, comprises longitudinally extending Warpthreads, such as those indicated at 25, which normally hang in parallelrelation to each other in the loom. During the weaving of the lacefabric these warp threads are drawn toward each other and joinedtogether at various places and in a predetermined manner, to form theopen mesh fabric, by transversely extending threads 26, which arecarried by suitable shuttles that pass between the warp'threads and arethen shogged laterally, passing again between the warp threads in areverse direction in order to wrap the shuttle threads around the warpthreads.

The net shown in Fig. 4 is one of the simplest forms of lace fabric toproduce on the conventional type of loom and is intended for the purposeof illustration only, as it will be noted that any desired form of mesh,with or without other designs formed therein, may be provided withoutdeparting from the essential features of the invention.

Cutting of this type of lace fabric under ordinary conditions wouldproduce irregular uneven edges along the line of the out, due to the cutpassing through the open meshes of the fabric, and in order to provideeven regular edges on each blank the warp threads 25 at and adjacent thelines on which the sheet is to be cut are maintained in substantiallystraight parallel relation to each other, by wrapping of the shuttlethreads 26 around the parallel warp threads, thereby producing strips ofsolid fabric in the sheet at such places where the sheet is to be cut.

In order to provide the lines of demarcation in the sheet, to facilitatethe cutting of the sheet into individual blanks of uniform size andshape, a relatively open space is provided in or adjacent each of thestrips of solid fabric, these open spaces being crossed by threads 2'7,which connect the parallel edges of the solid fabric parts 30, 30 of the'adjacently disposed portions of the sheets and thereby produce thereadily discernible lines of demarcation in the sheet, such as indicatedat 15 in Fig. 4, thus when the fabric is cut along the lines ofdemarcation, by severing the connecting threads 27, regular even edgeswill be produced on each blank. 1 The solid fabric parts 30 adjacent theedge of each blank provides for the seaming of the edges of the blanktogether or to the edges of the other components of the stocking andprovide for the making of small strong and straight seams.

After the blanks A, A have been parted the welt structure and the footstructure are applied thereto in any suitable manner, for example thewelt structure 9 may be made as a flat piece of knitted fabric on anytype of knitting machine, after which the strip of knitted fabric may befolded upon itself and the fabric 10 at the upperend of the blank A maybe inserted between the folds of the knitted fabric which are thenstitched, looped or .otherwise seamed at or adjacent the line 10a tojoin the welt structure with the leg portion 1 of the stocking.Obviously, the welt 9 may be made on a circular knitting machine in theform of a tube and applied to the top edge of the blank A in a similarmanner.

It is also'within the scope of the invention to apply the upper end ofthe blank A, at or adjacent the line 10a, to the needles of a knittingmachine and to knit a welt structure directly to the blank as a singleply welt with a non-raveling edge or as a double ply welt folded uponitself around the top edge of the blank A, to include a portion of thefabric adjacent the top edge of the blank A, and then topped onto theneedles again, after which a few additional courses of stitches may beknitted to lock the welt and fabric of the blank A together. The knittedfabric may then be knit off the needles andan overedge stitching appliedto include the last courses formed to prevent raveling thereof.

' The foot structure likewise may be applied in i a number of differentways and may be of various forms, for example, a foot known as a Frenchfoot may be employed. In forming this type of foot the heel pieces 5, 5may be formed on any suitable type of a knitting machine, after whichthe portions along the inner edges of a pair of 1 heel pieces 5, 5between the points a: and 1/ may be topped onto the needles of a flatknitting machine in spaced relation to each other, with the points x, a:of the pair of heel pieces'5, 5 separated a distance equal to the widthof the instep portion 4 of the blank A. The two halves of the foot sole7 are then interknit with the heel pieces 5, 5 respectively along thelines 2, the knitting of the foot sole parts continuing until fabric isproduced to an extent equal to the length of the marginal edges 4a-4b ofthe instep 4, whereupon the knitting of the upper portion 6 of the toeis begun on the needles intermediate the separated groups that have beenknitting the two separate parts of the foot sole 7. The knitting of thetop portion 6 of the toe and the bottom portion 7a of the toe progressessimultaneously, the toe including the portions 6 and 7a being narrowedand shaped in the usual way.

A foot known as an English foot may be employed as shown in Fig. 3. Informing this type of foot the heel pieces 5, 5 may be formed on any kindof a knitting machine and the portions along-the inner edges between thepoints x and y may be topped onto the needles of a flat knitting machinewith the points 11,11 of a pair of heel pieces 5, 5 in abutting relationto each other. The knitting of'the foot sole 7 is then carried on in theusual manner, being interknit solidlywith the heel pieces 5, 5 along thelines z, the t e portion 7a being narrowed and shaped in the usual way.The upper toe portion 6 is also knit on a flat machine and fashioned inthe usual manner, after which this upper toe piece 6 is joined to thelower toe portion 7a of the sole structure 7 along the line w as by anyof the usual seaming or looping methods.

The assembled foot structure, in either case, including the heel pieces5, 5, the foot sole 7 and lower toe portion 7a, and the upper toeportion 6 are then applied to the blank A, by being looped, sewed orotherwise seamed to the edges 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b and 6a of the blank A inthe manner indicated in Fig. 3.

In the case of the English foot, the lower ends of the heel pieces ortabs 5, 5 between the points 1/ and y are then looped together in theusual manner and the two edges at the opposite sides of the blank A arethen seamed together in the usual manner from the point y to the top ofthe stocking to complete the stocking.

In the case of the French foot the seam begins as usual at the point ofthe toe and extends along the sole of the foot and up the back of theleg, thereby joining the edges of the two parts of the foot sole and theopposite edges of the leg portion of the blank to complete the heelpocket 88 intermediate the sole and the heel, and a full seamless toepocket 66, the edges 55a, 55b, 66a and 77a of which are joined to theedges 5a, 5b, 4a, 4b and 6a of the blank A in the same manner as thecorresponding edges of the foot structure shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 of the drawings illustrates a sheet of mesh fabric composed ofstocking blanks A and. A arranged in rows with the instep portions ofthe A row alternating with and disposed intermediate the blanks A of theother row, whereby the quantity of material of the sheet which must bewasted when the blanks are separated along the lines of demarcation 15,15a, 15b, 15c, 15d will be reduced to a minimum as indicated at 16d and16a.

In order to facilitate the handling of the blanks and to prevent theedges of the blanks from curling, the blanks either before or faterbeing separated from the sheet, preferably before, are sized with asuitable substance such as starch, and preferably pressed or ironed, asby a mangle. In this way the seaming fabric 30 may be reduced to aminimum in width and still permit the operator to readily join and seamthe stocking along the lines of juncture, whereby extremely small butsecure straight seams may be made.

We claim:

1. The method of producing net hosiery which consists in making andshaping the leg and instep portions of a stocking on a, lace-makingmachinein the form of a blank, sizing the blank, pressingthe sizedblank, applying a knitted foot and welt to the blank and subsequentlyuniting the unjoined portion a of the stocking structure to complete thestocking.

2. The method of producing net hosiery which consists in making andshaping the leg and instep portions of the stocking on a lace-making Jmachine in the form of a blank, applying the blank to the needles of aknitting machine, knitwelt fabric, doubling the knitted fabric over thetop edge of the blank to form a two ply welt with the blank fabricbetween the plies, topping a primary course of the welt fabric stitcheson the needles to form the double ply welt, knitting a number of coursesafter said topping, and locking the last course against raveling.

JAIVIES OLIVER. THOMAS A. OLIVER.

